Exodus 39:23-43

39:23 There was an opening in the center of the robe, like the opening of a collar, with an edge all around the opening so that it could not be torn. 39:24 They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and twisted linen ¹  around the hem of the robe. 39:25 They made bells of pure gold and attached the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates. 39:26 There was ²  a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe, to be used in ministering, ³  just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

39:27 They made tunics of fine linen – the work of a weaver, for Aaron and for his sons – 39:28 and the turban of fine linen, the headbands of fine linen, and the undergarments of fine twisted linen. 39:29 The sash was of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, the work of an embroiderer, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 39:30 They made a plate, the holy diadem, of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription, as on the engravings of a seal, “Holiness to the Lord.” 39:31 They attached to it a blue cord, to attach it to the turban above, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses Inspects the Sanctuary

39:32 ⁴ So all the work of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed, and the Israelites did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses – they did it exactly so. 39:33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings, clasps, frames, bars, posts, and bases; 39:34 and the coverings of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, ⁵  and the protecting ⁶  curtain; 39:35 the ark of the testimony and its poles, and the atonement lid; 39:36 the table, all its utensils, and the Bread of the Presence; 39:37 the pure ⁷  lampstand, its lamps, with the lamps set in order, and all its accessories, and oil for the light; 39:38 and the gold altar, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; 39:39 the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the large basin with its pedestal; 39:40 the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway of the courtyard, its ropes and its tent pegs, and all the furnishings ⁸  for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 39:41 the woven garments for serving ⁹  in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.

39:42 The Israelites did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. 39:43 Moses inspected ¹⁰  all the work – and ¹¹  they had done it just as the Lord had commanded – they had done it exactly – and Moses blessed them. ¹² 

[39:24]  ¹ tn The word is simply “twined” or “twisted.” It may refer to the twisted linen that so frequently is found in these lists; or, it may refer to the yarn twisted. The LXX reads “fine twined linen.” This is not found in the text of Exod 28:33, except in Smr and LXX.

[39:26]  ² tn The words “there was” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:26]  ³ tn The infinitive “to minister” is present; “to be used” is supplied from the context.

[39:32]  ⁴ sn The last sections of the book bring several themes together to a full conclusion. Not only is it the completion of the tabernacle, it is the fulfillment of God’s plan revealed at the beginning of the book, i.e., to reside with his people.

[39:34]  ⁵ tn See the note on this phrase in Exod 25:5.

[39:34]  ⁶ tn Or “shielding” (NIV); NASB “the screening veil.”

[39:37]  ⁷ tn Possibly meaning “pure gold lampstand.”

[39:40]  ⁸ tn Heb “utensils, vessels.”

[39:41]  ⁹ tn The form is the infinitive construct; it means the clothes to be used “to minister” in the holy place.

[39:43]  ¹⁰ tn Or “examined” (NASB, TEV); NCV “looked closely at.”

[39:43]  ¹¹ tn The deictic particle draws attention to what he saw in such a way as to give the reader Moses’ point of view and a sense of his pleasure: “and behold, they…”

[39:43]  ¹² sn The situation and wording in Exod 39:43 are reminiscent of Gen 1:28 and 31, with the motifs of blessing people and inspecting what has been made.